RADIO
Welcome to the Double Gameweek 24 FPL Staff Roundtable, RotoBallers! It's the first double gameweek of the season, and the chip strategy campaign has kicked off. Liverpool and Everton will enjoy two fixtures in this gameweek.
The secondary headline for the weekend is a massive clash between Arsenal and Manchester City. A win for Arsenal would be very impressive and keep the pressure on Liverpool. Meanwhile, Manchester City needs a win to keep securing its spot in next year's Champions League.
The Double Gameweek 24 deadline for the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, February 1, at 6:00 a.m. EST, when Nottingham Forest hosts Brighton games kickoff. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every EPL and UCL slate with our DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Double Gameweek 24 Preview
The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the minds of our FPL writers. Our top soccer writers will answer questions each gameweek to give you an idea of how they view the games. So, without further ado, let’s kick off Gameweek 24!
Penny for your (Double) Thoughts
It’s the first Double Gameweek of the season. What are your final thoughts heading into the week where Liverpool and Everton have two fixtures?
Euan Leith: If you already have three Liverpool players in your squad, don't waste a transfer flip-flopping at this stage. However, if you only have Mohamed Salah (£13.7m), then I would look to add Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.3m) and either Cody Gakpo (£7.6m) or Luis Diaz (£7.5m).
I'm also not ready to commit to the assistant manager chip because Everton is a low-scoring outfit. Liverpool has two tough road fixtures: Bournemouth and the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park with Everton.
Jamie Steed: It’s a shame that Everton’s regular fixture is good and Liverpool’s isn’t. However, I’m overcoming that little issue by using my assistant manager chip with David Moyes and starting three Liverpool players to try and maximize on the double gameweek.
That still leaves me with my other chips for when we have more teams with double gameweeks. It feels like an opportune time to use the assistant manager chip, provided you still have your free hit and wildcard.
The FPL Manual (Wale): My main course of action is to have at least four players participating in the Double Gameweek and then activate my Triple Captain chip. I desperately need massive gains for my fantasy team, and Gameweek 24 seems like the ideal opportunity to be more aggressive.
How many Double Gameweekers do you have in you team right now? 🫵
How many are you planning to own for Gameweek 24? 💭#FPL pic.twitter.com/52pvwt8nOQ
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 28, 2025
Pieces of the Puzzle Unveiled
Between Gameweeks 24 and 25, we will learn about the Carabao Cup finalists and the FA Cup's fourth-round results. How crucial is this information to late-season chip strategy?
Euan: It won't reveal the whole picture, but it'll give us enough to know how to plan for Blank Gameweek 29. Any of Aston Villa, Liverpool, Fulham, Spurs, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, and Chelsea could not have a fixture that week.
We will also learn who will likely blank in Gameweek 34 due to FA Cup fixtures. So, it's crucial to do your best to roll transfers. I'm hesitant to spend a transfer on an Everton player because, outside of the Double Gameweek, I don't see a ton of upside for the Toffees.
Jamie: It’s very important. Leagues are won by capitalizing on the weeks where teams have two fixtures. Even if it’s just to give you an idea of how to construct your team with transfers moving forward and when you want to use your chips, the next fortnight will make things much more transparent.
Wale: Indeed, the cup updates are of the utmost importance! Whoever advances to the next round of the FA Cup or reaches the Carabao Cup final will most likely have a blank gameweek soon, with projections speculating Gameweek 29.
Taking note of which team qualifies will assist fantasy managers in forward thinking and ease the decision-making process on when to take advantage of our chips or save up transfers to sort out any key missing FPL assets.
Ice Ice Maybe
Chelsea has struggled with one win in seven games. Does this form cool your love of Cole Palmer?
Euan: This might just be who Palmer (£11.3m) is as an FPL asset. Last season was incredible because of the penalties and his price. However, the penalties have dipped, and the price is up. Regardless, he can wake up any game day and produce a 20-point haul, so FPL managers need to protect themselves from the rank-crushing prospect.
Jamie: A little. But Palmer has still tallied three double-digit returns in the last six games, so Chelsea’s struggles don’t immediately translate into Palmer blanking. I expect Chelsea to get back to form soon, so those dumping Palmer might regret their decision in a few weeks.
Wale: No, it doesn’t. On one end, I have thought about getting rid of the Englishman due to his high price tag. Then again, Palmer just had back-to-back double-digit returns in Gameweeks 20 and 21.
As an FPL asset, he is doing fine and is a long-term hold in my team. ‘Form is temporary,’ they say, right? The Blues will find their form again, and I’ll keep faith in "Ice Cold" Palmer.
Buzzing for the King Bee
Bryan Mbeumo keeps finding a way to FPL points. Now that some of his tougher fixtures are done, is he a priority transfer for teams?
Euan: Removing Bryan Mbeumo (£7.8m) on my early Wildcard was probably my biggest mistake of the season. I'm looking to rectify that as soon as possible. If Newcastle advance to the Carabao Cup final and cause a Blank Gameweek for themselves, Mbeumo will replace Anthony Gordon (£7.7m) in my team before the final whistle is blown.
Jamie: Absolutely. Going from Palmer to Mbeumo to save money and bring in a more expensive forward is something we will see more of, and it is a sound plan. It is worth noting that Brentford’s fixtures in April are as tough as they come, and this will be a period of double gameweeks, so keep that under consideration.
Wale: It depends on what you tag as a priority. For Double Gameweek 24, a priority transfer in my books will be targeting a Liverpool or Everton asset. However, Mbeumo amassing 37 points in his last five games is no small feat and should not be overlooked by non-owners.
Compared with FPL midfield premiums, that’s 11 more points than Palmer (£11.3m), 26 points in that timeframe. If any fantasy manager has two or more transfers in store, Mbeumo could be a compelling option to target with a Liverpool or Everton asset.
New Faces
The January transfer window is almost shut. Have you seen any moves that should be on our FPL radars?
Euan: One of the most significant moves in January happened Wednesday when it was announced that Jhon Duran (£5.8m) would leave Aston Villa and head to Saudi Arabia. This clears Ollie Watkins (£8.9m) to dominate minutes along Villa's frontline after facing some pressure from Duran earlier in the campaign.
Jamie: The only one so far is Manchester City’s signing of Omar Marmoush (£7.0m). He looked lively on his debut, and there’s an issue with Kevin De Bruyne (£9.4m), so I expect Marmoush to be a regular in City’s starting lineup. Pairing him with Erling Haaland up front (£14.7m) is an interesting strategy worth considering if you need to make up ground.
Wale: Manchester City’s new signing, Marmoush’s (£7.0m) debut performance against Chelsea largely impressed many soccer fans last weekend. The Egyptian international has a sharp eye for goal and consistently found himself in the right pocket of space to attack.
In the first half of the season, Marmoush scored 15 goals in 17 outings for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga. I’m excited to see what the 25-year-old has in store as an emerging FPL asset for the remainder of the season.
🚨🟡🔵 Jhon Durán to Al Nassr, here we go! Story from earlier tonight confirmed as documents are being prepared.
Aston Villa to receive €77m fixed fee plus add-ons, long term deal accepted by Durán.
Medical booked tomorrow and then he will travel to Saudi right after ✈️🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/m3SN6ots84
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 29, 2025
Who is Keeping a Clean Sheet in Gameweek 24?
Euan: Liverpool gets two cracks at the (pun intended) cherry this week with games versus Bournemouth and Everton. While I'm not backing a clean sheet on the South Coast against the Cherries, Everton's attack is so timid that the Red's defense should keep the Toffees stuck at zero goals in the Merseyside derby.
Jamie: Before stunning Tottenham last week, Leicester had blanked in back-to-back games. They had only scored twice in their previous seven EPL games. While Everton’s struggled for goals all season, they have kept things tight defensively. The Toffees have kept eight clean sheets this season, and a ninth will be on the cards this weekend.
Wale: I’ll be backing Nottingham Forest to keep a clean sheet this week. Despite conceding five goals in a single match in Gameweek 23, Forest boasts nine Premier League clean sheets, and they will be confident of keeping things tight at the back when they welcome Brighton this weekend.
What Defensive Player is Providing Attacking Returns?
Euan: I'll take a free-ish space with Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m) and his double gameweek. The Dutch defender has produced at least 0.17 xGI in three of his last four games and only has one goal this season. He's averaged 3.4 goals per campaign over the last five full seasons, so VVD has some work to do to catch up before the end of the year.
Jamie: It’s been a while since I included Leif Davis (£4.4m). The Ipswich defender hasn’t provided an attacking return since Gameweek 10 but gets Southampton at home this weekend. Only two sides have conceded more goals on their travels than the Saints.
Davis’ 70 shot-creating actions this season are third-most among defenders, so he’s still been an attacking threat despite the lack of returns.
Wale: Ipswich's Davis (£4.4m) has been unable to deliver FPL returns in recent games, but I believe that will change soon. Davis, who ranks third among defenders with 10 big chances created, is a strong option for attacking returns, particularly with a home game against Southampton.
Best Midfielder or Forward Who Isn't Rostered
Who is rostered in 10 percent of teams or less who can grab those FPL points?
Euan: I'll pass over Everton and Liverpool players and roll with Dango Ouattara (£5.0m) from Bournemouth. He played along the front line versus Nottingham Forest and bagged a hat-trick. With Evanilson out until April, Ouattara has a chance to start for several weeks in an up-and-coming attack.
Jamie: Iliman Ndiaye (£5.4m) has looked like a different player under David Moyes. As well as the benefit of a double gameweek, Everton’s opponent on Saturday happens to have conceded the most goals away from home in the League. So, as well as Everton keeping a clean sheet against Leicester, I fancy Ndiaye to bag a couple of goals/assists this weekend.
Wale: In Gameweek 23, Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m) hit the 100 FPL point mark for the Cherries. The Ghanaian international has now contributed 11 attacking returns this season, with 34 points in his last five games.
With 6.6% ownership, Semenyo will be eager to cause an upset against Liverpool's defense this weekend and is a key differential to keep an eye on.
Dango Ouattara registers the eighth 20+ points haul in the Premier League this season... ✨
...with @afcbournemouth assets making up three of those eight! 🍒#FPL pic.twitter.com/eAA0u5P60w
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 27, 2025
Who is a Player You Want But Can’t Get for Gameweek 24 in FPL?
Euan: We mentioned him earlier, but I can't wait to get Mbeumo back in my squad. Brentford's talisman is up to 14 goals and three assists this year. He's already set a career-high in Premier League goals this year and could crack 20 at his current pace.
Jamie: The Liverpool player who scores 25 points and isn’t on my team! Alexander-Arnold (£7.3m) feels like he’s going to explode with a huge game at some point. It’s so difficult to bring him in, given his comparative cost as a defender, especially with so many great premium midfielders around.
Wale: Currently, I’m pretty content with my fantasy team, but if I could mention one name, it would be Man United’s Amad Diallo (£5.6m). The Red Devils have a decent home fixture against Crystal Palace and will look to improve their league form.
Amad is often the ‘big-game’ player who produces key moments at Old Trafford, and I’m a little worried about not having him in this week.
Who’s Getting the Captain’s Armband?
Euan: Salah in a double gameweek is the obvious option. If you have your Triple Captain chip remaining, it's not a bad week to deploy it versus Bournemouth and Everton. There won't be as many Double Gameweeks this season, so activate the chip while you can.
Jamie: It has to be a Liverpool player. As much as I’d love to go against the grain and opt for Gakpo (£7.6m), nine of his 11 goal involvements have come at Anfield. With two away games, I’m not going to take that risk, so I will play it safe and go with Salah (£13.7m).
Wale: I’ll give Salah the armband. Salah’s 32-goal contributions for the Reds show he has been an absolute beast this season, and I dare say I’ll be entrusting the Triple Captain chip to the Egyptian King this week for thrice the points.
The leading points scorer in FPL this season 🔝
Will you be using your Triple Captain on Mo Salah in Double Gameweek 24? 👀#FPL pic.twitter.com/aJoTxX7YZJ
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 29, 2025
What’s Your Bold Prediction for Gameweek 24?
Euan: People seem to be doubting the league leaders, so I'll go against the trendy pick and say Liverpool takes six points from six versus Bournemouth and Everton. Elsewhere, Mbeumo scores his 15th of the season, and Arsenal keeps a clean sheet versus Man City.
Jamie: A Yoane Wissa (£6.4m) brace sees him as the weekend’s top-scoring forward and helps Brentford to thump Tottenham. That ultimately results in Tottenham moving on from Ange Postecoglou.
Wale: Ipswich Town secures a 2-0 victory against Southampton, while Brentford defeats Tottenham 3-1. Regarding FPL returns, Everton’s Ndiaye (£5.5m) will outscore Gakpo (£7.6m) this Double Gameweek.
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